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“Today, we’re beginning to send messages to those consumers who had account creation issues to let them know they can try again,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Communications Director Julie Bataille. The agency, which will make the outreach to frustrated shoppers in waves, plans to send emails to about 270,000 people this week, she said.

The Obama administration has just three weeks to meet its self-imposed Nov. 30 deadline for having a much smoother website experience “for the vast majority of users,” and administration officials on Tuesday reiterated they’re confident they can hit that goal.

While officials refuse to say whether there’s a backup plan if website repair efforts fall short, Bataille said CMS is working to improve enrollment methods meant to take pressure off the Obamacare website. One of those options includes direct enrollment, which allows a customer to directly sign up through an insurer’s website and receive a premium subsidy if eligible.

Direct enrollment “has always been part of our plan and process,” Bataille said. “And in the priority of the fixes that we are moving forward with now, we believe that it will enable more efficient processes in terms of direct enrollment.”

CMS also made “dozens” of fixes to the application process over the weekend, including some improvements to the “834” files the federal insurance marketplace sends to insurers, Bataille said. The agency says it has corrected a problem with erroneous cancellation notices sent to insurers. It also fixed a rounding error with premium tax credits and improved the application process for agents and brokers.

Bataille and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday refused to confirm reports that just 40,000 to 50,000 people have so far signed up for plans through the federal exchanges in 36 states. They said an official enrollment report due by the end of this week will count people who have selected a health plan but haven’t yet paid the first month’s premium.